Douluo Dragon King: Embarking on the Path to Godhood from the Start

"This... the aura of an unfamiliar high-ranking dragon? And there's more than one?!"

Sensing the complex and subtle aura emanating from Yu Chen, a hint of surprise flashed in Zi Ji's eyes.

She had never seen the Dragon God and the Dragon Kings in person, so she could only tell that it was an extremely noble yet unfamiliar dragon aura, making it difficult to directly connect it with the legendary Dragon God.

"I wonder if Di Tian has noticed anything?" she wondered to herself.

"Young Master," Di Tian's steady voice broke the brief silence from behind the crowd, "The banquet still needs some preparation. Before that, I have a favor to ask."

His gaze fell on Yu Chen, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable weight.

"I want to personally assess the worth of your...beloved."

He didn't emphasize the words "my beloved" too much, but they were like three nails, pinning Yu Chen and Gu Yue to the spot.

Yu Chen stiffly turned to Gu Yue, only to see her lower her head slightly, her fair profile flushing crimson at a visible speed, her lips pressed tightly together, and she didn't refute him.

What's the difference between this reaction and simply issuing a formal acceptance?!

In the eyes of Di Tian and his group of "old fogies," it was practically written all over their faces that they were admitting their guilt.

"Young friend Yu Chen, please." Di Tian said no more, turned and left, his back view saying "No refusal allowed".

The two soon arrived at a spacious training ground inside the castle, large enough for horses to run across. The ground and walls were covered with strange, scribbled soul-guiding runes, gleaming with a faint, standby light.

The room was empty, with only the two of them present.

Di Tian turned around, and a golden glint flashed in his deep, dark eyes.

He didn't rush to act; instead, he nodded slightly, his tone so solemn it sent chills down one's spine:

"Before I take action, please allow me to apologize. This probing was truly out of desperation."

The voice was deep and resonant, echoing in the empty space.

"My young master... was once severely injured, and her essence was damaged. It took a long time for her to recover completely. Therefore, in some aspects, her temperament is far purer than that of her peers, and one could even say that she is... simple."

"That's why we didn't let her get involved with the complexities of big cities too early. The young master is the hope of our clan's future, and she shoulders unimaginable responsibilities and missions."

"I will not allow anyone with ulterior motives or deceitful words to have the opportunity to approach her, deceive her, or even undermine her will!"

As soon as he finished speaking, although Di Tian's aura remained unchanged, a sense of oppressive power, as deep and unfathomable as a mountain, naturally emanated from him.

He stood casually, his hands hanging naturally at his sides, yet he had already struck an impeccable pose.

"Now, attack with all your might. Don't worry about destruction, and don't fret about your so-called 'out of control'."

"Here, I allow it to get out of control. There are ways to bring it back on track."

His words were filled with absolute confidence and a condescending scrutiny.

Yu Chen listened quietly, his face showing no anger or resentment, but rather a look of understanding and determination.

He gently exhaled a breath of stale air, his eyes clear as he faced the heavens.

"I... I didn't know Gu Yue had suffered such injuries, nor did I know exactly what she was carrying."

"But I know that she is the friend I've chosen, a unique companion."

"As a friend, I'm willing to lend a hand when she's in trouble. I can also help carry some of her burdens when needed."

"so--"

"Let's fight!"

He made a grasping motion in the air with his right hand, and the long, dark naginata appeared in his hand, its blade gleaming with a restrained, cold light.

Yu Chen's gaze became incredibly focused, and he uttered an ancient, obscure language that seemed to govern the rules of time and space:

"Servants who push the wheel of time, obey my words, I will be the scepter, I will be the master."

"Word of Power: Time Zero".

hum-

A strange wave rippled outwards from him.

The next moment, Yu Chen's figure seemed to break free from the constraints of normal speed, transforming into a blurry afterimage that was difficult to capture with the naked eye. He tore through the air at an astonishing speed and rushed straight towards Di Tian!

The blade flashed silently, yet with extreme sharpness, aimed directly at Di Tian's neck!

"Ability related to time? Not bad."

A hint of surprise flashed in Di Tian's golden eyes, but he remained completely calm.

He didn't even move a step, but simply raised his right hand seemingly casually, extended two fingers, and in the blink of an eye, precisely and effortlessly caught the extremely fast blade!

The acceleration of time to zero seemed like a laughable slow-motion scene to him.

"Unfortunately, the moves are too straightforward and crude, and the swordsmanship is also without any rules, relying solely on speed and power."

Di Tian shook his head slightly, his tone carrying a hint of seniority instructing juniors, yet also revealing disappointment.

"Do not be bound by weapons. The blood of dragon kings flows in your veins, and the dragon race's battles rely more on primal power—its claws, its body, and the fighting instincts that originate from its bloodline!"

"Use your fists, use your claws, to prove to me your worth!"

Before he finished speaking, the two fingers holding the blade trembled slightly.

An overwhelming and irresistible terrifying force, like a torrent of water, flowed along the blade!

Yu Chen felt a violent tremor in his tiger's mouth, his arms went numb, and he couldn't hold the naginata at all.

"Bang!"

The naginata flew out of his hand, transforming into a streak of light, and stuck into the ground dozens of meters away, its blade still trembling.

Di Tian's fist, as if teleported, slammed into his face with a deep, thunderous sound!

There were no fancy moves, just a simple, direct, yet lightning-fast straight punch.

In his haste, Yu Chen could only barely raise his arms and cross them in front of him to protect himself.

"Bang--!"

A dull thud resounded.

Yu Chen felt as if he had been hit head-on by a high-speed moving mountain!

An irresistible force struck him, and he was thrown backward like a kite with a broken string. He rolled around on the ground a dozen times before he could barely dissipate the force and stop on one knee.

A sweet taste rose in his throat, followed by a metallic taste, which he forcibly suppressed.

"Your moves are flashy but impractical, all show and no substance. If this is all you've got..."

Di Tian stood still, slowly withdrawing his fist, his eyes turning sharp.

"Then perhaps the young master has misjudged him."

After saying that—

An indescribable, terrifying aura suddenly erupted from Di Tian's body!

The air inside the training ground instantly froze!

The tangible golden dragon's might, like a raging tide, like a tsunami, spread and coalesced wildly!

Di Tian's eyes had completely turned into a dazzling golden color, like two shrunken blazing suns, radiating an absolute kingly pressure!

The tangible golden light of the dragon's might, carrying a weight that made one's soul tremble, crushed down fiercely towards Yu Chen, who was kneeling on one knee!

Faced with this overwhelming pressure, Yu Chen froze instantly.

However, he was not stunned into losing his mind; rather, his spiritual sea was suddenly stirred up by the Emperor Tianlong's might!

Deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, the long-vanished, half-decayed World Tree reappeared, and the terrifying black dragon projection also reappeared, surrounded by countless dragon phantoms, all of which let out a provoked roar.

A roar like thunder echoed through the night. The black dragon's phantom became more solid, and its ferocious head opened its eyes. Those golden pupils, like the sun, illuminated Yu Chen's spiritual sea.

Then, the instant He spread His wings, countless ghostly blue phosphorescent flames of the dead flowed between the wing membranes, and His perfect dragon body and jet-black wings transformed into a doomsday cross spanning the heavens and the earth.

—That is a harbinger of Ragnarok, a tombstone of the coming end.

His majesty endures through the ages, and his dragon body is flawless.

That is why the undisguised, overwhelming rage emanating from every dragon scale and every gaze appears all the more terrifying!

In the material world, the dragon's might still resonates.

Little did he know that another pair of supreme eyes were already peering down at him coldly through Yu Chen's body.

Under the gaze of those "eyes," the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King's dazzling and majestic golden pupils appeared so small and... laughable!

—Like a rusted bronze mirror, it dares to reflect the sun's brilliance and proclaims itself the Lord of Light.

—Like a despicable counterfeit seal, groveling before the true Imperial Seal of the State, it dares to presume to steal the divinely granted authority!

"Ugh—!"

Yu Chen, who was kneeling, suddenly raised his head and let out a low growl that was not human.

He withstood the terrifying dragon's might that threatened to crush his bones, trembling yet incredibly resolute, and straightened his body once more!

When he opened his eyes again, his own golden eyes were burning with an unprecedented, intense, and dazzling light, like molten gold!

"The Path to Godhood: A Second Bloodbath!"

"Third wave of bloodshed—!!!"

He roared inwardly, no longer holding back!

Crackle!

A series of teeth-grinding, rapid explosions erupted from his body!

The gaps between his bones were instantly filled and reconstructed. Hundreds of new, stronger bones pierced through his flesh and skin, growing and fitting together wildly and rapidly within his body like the most intricate armor components!

"Dragonbone state!"

The muscles swelled and bulged violently as if inflated, with each muscle fiber clearly visible, twisted and coiled like a tightly wound steel cable, containing explosive power!

Perhaps it was because he was a direct descendant of the Black King, or perhaps it was due to the unique nature of Douluo Continent, but Yu Chen activated the Dragon Bone Mode of "Emperor" after his blood exploded for the third time.

Yu Chen remained silent, only focusing on unleashing his bloodlust!

His body is undergoing astonishing changes under the terrifying power of his bloodline!

"roar--!!!"

A soul-shaking dragon roar erupted from the depths of his throat!

At this moment, Yu Chen's appearance has completely transcended the realm of humanity!

His clothes were torn to shreds, and his entire body was covered with dense, dark dragon scales that shimmered with a cold, eerie light. Ferocious bone spurs protruded from his joints and spine.

Its hands and feet had transformed into sharp dragon claws that gleamed with a metallic sheen.

Encased in the exoskeleton, his body swelled several sizes, becoming robust and imposing, exuding a powerful beauty and a wild ferocity!

A pair of jet-black dragon horns pierced from both sides of his forehead, pointing straight to the sky.

A pair of blood-stained, enormous black wings, seemingly made of shadow and steel, suddenly unfolded behind him, their slight flapping seemingly capable of blocking out the light of day!

This is no longer human, nor is it a pure dragon.

Rather, it is a monster that exists between holiness and terror, on the edge of order and rage!

With his roar filled with primal power, an even more domineering, ancient, and powerful dragon might, like an ancient ferocious beast awakening, suddenly erupted from his body!

This dragon's might, carrying an unquestionable supreme majesty, forcefully tore a gap in the golden dragon's might released by Di Tian!

"snort!"

Caught off guard, Di Tian let out a muffled groan, utterly overwhelmed by the terrifying dragon's might that was both unfamiliar and faintly familiar with its primal aura. His mind trembled violently, and he stood frozen in place for a moment.

"Lord...Lord?" he murmured unconsciously, a momentary look of disbelief and disorientation flashing in his eyes.

"Enough! Di Tian, ​​that's enough!"

A clear, cold, and majestic female voice suddenly rang out, like a cold spring striking a stone, carrying a powerful spiritual calming force that pierced through the raging dragon's might and roar.

Before anyone knew it, Gu Yue had appeared at the edge of the training ground.

Her originally deep black eyes had now transformed into an even more mysterious purple, as if containing endless starlight and elemental power.

As his gaze shifted, a powerful spiritual wave spread out, gently yet firmly surging towards Yu Chen, attempting to soothe the raging waves in his spiritual sea.

At this moment, Di Tian, ​​the strongest being under the Lord of Soul Beasts, couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

His original intention was simply to force Yu Chen to use his full strength, and at the moment of that power eruption, to confirm whether the aura of "that one" was truly hidden deep within his bloodline.

He never expected that the dragon's might he released would act like a key, accidentally unlocking a forbidden "switch" within Yu Chen's body, triggering such a terrifying bloodline rampage and mental tsunami!

This completely unexpected chain reaction was something Di Tian had not anticipated.

"Now that things have spiraled out of control, I can bring them back on track." Gu Yue's cool yet confident voice calmed Di Tian down a bit.

His previous warning was not unfounded; even if he himself was powerless, he still had his lord as his last resort. The foundation of the Soul Beast Lord was sufficient to handle most unexpected situations.

"Seal off the surrounding space and isolate all auras!" Gu Yue strode towards Yu Chen, whose aura had become violent and whose form had drastically changed. The authority in his voice was unquestionable.

"I will use my primal power to soothe his spiritual sea."

"My lord!" Di Tian snapped back to his senses, a hint of urgency and worry flashing across his face.

"With just the few of us here, I'm afraid... it's not enough to completely isolate the potential fluctuations of your aura when you use your source power!"

"There's no need to worry too much."

Gu Yue's voice remained calm, carrying an all-knowing composure. "Within Chen's body, the souls of several dragon kings, including the Mountain Dragon King, the Water Dragon King, and the Fire Dragon King, reside. Their auras intertwine and mix, naturally forming a barrier."

The purple light in her eyes grew increasingly brilliant, and crystal-clear silver dragon scales, shimmering with moonlight, began to appear around her body, making her aura increasingly profound and unfathomable.

"Later I will sort out his spiritual sea. If I use my source, the aura fluctuations of gods and above will be covered and diluted by the mixed aura of these dragon souls."

"You only need to work together to ensure that the aura and movements of those below the god level are not leaked out and are not spied on or disturbed by outsiders."

"Those dragon souls?!" Upon hearing this, Di Tian couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, his eyes flashing with intense shock and realization.

"So that's how it is... The unusual spatial and energy fluctuations that came from the Dragon Valley plane earlier led us to believe it was spatial instability or the emergence of a rare treasure. But it turns out it was..." He took a deep breath, "...the spontaneous resonance and audience of these long-dormant remnant souls of the Dragon Kings upon sensing the aura of the newly born Dragon God!"

After saying that, Gu Yue said no more.

Her body surged with silver light, and her figure rapidly changed and lengthened within the light, the perfect dragon body phantom belonging to the Silver Dragon King flashing by.

Immediately afterwards, a rich yet gentle seven-colored elemental power surged from her body, like the finest silk threads, layer upon layer, tightly intertwined and wrapped around her, quickly enveloping her and Yu Chen, whose aura was still violent and covered by black scales and bone spurs.

In the blink of an eye, a giant cocoon about three meters in diameter, with a surface flowing with seven-colored light and a powerful energy fluctuation inside, appeared in the center of the training ground.

Immediately, a barely perceptible ripple appeared in the space, and the giant cocoon, along with the two people inside, vanished from the spot.

The next moment, in a secret chamber deep within the castle, filled with sturdy and isolating soul-guiding arrays, a giant cocoon quietly emerged.

Di Tian stood in the empty training ground, gazing at the spot where the giant seven-colored cocoon had disappeared, a rare ripple passing through the depths of his golden pupils.

He slowly closed his five fingers, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

"My lord..."

He silently repeated those two words in his heart, and they felt as heavy as a mountain.

For countless years, he has watched her rise from the ashes, seeing her regain her strength day by day, and seeing her shoulder the heavy fate of the entire soul beast race alone. She is always calm, dignified, and even somewhat aloof, as if she were truly just a god gradually awakening.

But just now—when she grabbed the boy's sleeve, when that unmistakable concern flashed in her eyes, when she unhesitatingly used her source to build a cocoon for him—Di Tian suddenly realized that the "master" he had protected for countless years seemed to be undergoing changes in some places that he had never expected.

He couldn't tell whether the change was good or bad.

The future of the dragon race rests on her shoulders; any change could lead to a completely different outcome.

He just... suddenly felt a little uncertain.

I'm unsure whether my consistent insistence and protection are truly the right thing to do.

It's uncertain whether that boy named Yu Chen will be a spark illuminating the way forward or a calamity that burns everything away.

Di Tian withdrew his gaze from the void and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

Then, the four powerful beasts, Di Tian, ​​Zi Ji, Bi Ji, and Xiong Jun, exchanged glances and attacked simultaneously without any hesitation.

The boundless, condensed soul power and the vast, powerful spiritual force intertwined and rose, transforming into an invisible yet indestructible net that completely sealed off and isolated the entire ancient castle and a large area around it.

No amount of soul power fluctuation, mental probing, or even sound or light could penetrate the barrier set up by the four top-tier ferocious beasts.